Gifts
by percyjacksonfantothecore
Summary: Travis gives Katie a heart-shaped box filled with candies and I-Love-You, and she loves it. At least up until the moment she finds out the box is made of plastic and is harming the earth. Tratie, if that much wasn't clear.


**I got this idea from one of my friends, who was talking about Earth Day for some random reason. So of course, I connect that to this, and here comes Earth-sensitive Katie receiving a gift from Travis. **

* * *

Travis knocked on the door of Cabin 4, his heart pounding.

A bewildered Katie opened the heavy oak door. "What are you doing here?" she barked out.

"What a welcome," quipped Travis, sounding unhurt. "I'm here to give you—uh, um—this," he said anxiously, holding out the red heart-shaped chocolate box hastily.

She stared at it. "Are you sure this isn't a prank? Because that would be awful," she said persuasively.

Travis shook his head, unabashed at the accusation, a sad true thing that applied to him. "No, it's truly a box of chocolates for you. Dark chocolate, your favorite."

"You did your research," she appraised.

"I try," admitted Travis with false modesty.

Katie stared at the box, then at Travis for the longest time. Then she finally conceded, shrugging her shoulder and taking the box curiously. She didn't open it front of Travis, because that would be rude, but instead chose to thoroughly inspect it. She inspected the nutrition label, choosing only to raise an eyebrow at that, and even sniffed the box to make sure there were real chocolates inside.

Satisfied, she gave Travis and apologetic smile before reaching her free hand to close the door when a horrible, horrible thought struck her. The shift was very apparent. The smile her face previously held dripped off like wax. Her eyes flashed dangerously, making Travis fear for his life. She threw the box down at his feet like and tried to distance herself from it as if it carried some corroded rust. (Where Travis came up with these comparisons, he had no idea.) "I knew it! I knew it!" she crooned, pointing an accusatory finger at Travis.

Travis picked up the box, and brushed dirt off the edges, confused. "What?" he demanded.

"It's made of plastic, you idiot. Do you know what plastic does to the earth? Oh, I bet you do. You planned this!"

A lightbulb went off in Travis' dim head. "Oh! Katie, I didn't know, honest."

"That's just what you'd expect me to believe, wouldn't it? I knew it, I knew it! And here I was," she murmured speedily, mostly to herself, "thinking _the _Travis Stoll couldn't have any ulterior motives when he gives me a nice gift. He can actually possibly have a heart once, the insufferably hot brat. I almost believed it; could Travis actually like me like the entire camp, well you know, just Aphrodite, gossips? Well, you know it's old news, but I almost thought it was true. Almost," she said, indicating the small margin by showing him the incredibly petite space between her thumb and forefinger. Travis opened his mouth to contradict her, but she just took a gulp of air, and kept talking. "Just look at this," she said, pointing to the box in his hands like it was a radioactive chemical.

"Do you know how toxic it can be? It's made from petroleum, a fossil fuel, in a process that is not worth mentioning all the environmental issues. Just creating it emits all these abominations into the atmosphere, clinging to everything and poisoning us. PLASTIC IS POISON! And then after it's made and used— you know plastic can be reused right? — people just throw it away. _In the regular trash bin," _she added, her voice spiking an octave. "And when the cleaning people don't catch the awful mistake, the 'trash,'" —she tweaked her fingers— "it gets sent off to a landfill where it rots for the rest of eternity. Plastic doesn't decompose for a long, long time, and in that meantime, it just keeps accumulating and accumulating. It's so terrible to the world; how can you standing even holding _it_ in your hands?" she screamed, her voice sounding like that of a wounded puppy. She spread her arms wide, as if demanding an answer. But of course, she didn't stay down for too long. Katie shook her head. "What a fool I was," she sighed dejectedly. "Like seriously. What was I thinking?"

Travis blinked owlishly. Katie had just spouted a lot of words, most of which he didn't know whether it was a compliment or an insult. Plus, he hadn't actually comprehended all of it. Katie talked really fast sometimes; Travis felt stupid when he couldn't keep up. "Uh, Katie?" he asked tentatively, not wanting to tick her off too much.

Her eyes flashed back to him, a deep mistrust coursing through them. "What?" she snapped.

Travis wanted to wince from the edge to her voice. "I didn't plan this," he said quietly.

"Of course, you did. You were just waiting for the right moment to tell me—" Katie paused in her rampage, realizing what she had just said hadn't exactly made sense. "Wait," she deflated. "You didn't?" she squeaked. She searched his eyes for a lie, but couldn't seem to find one.

"No," Travis said earnestly.

"Oh," said Katie weakly. Her face, which had flooded with anger just moments ago, was now all embarrassment. "Well, this is awkward," she said.

"I'll give you that," agreed Travis, his palms clammy.

"Say," began Katie impulsively. "Why don't you come inside and we can talk over chocolates?" she invited.

Travis blinked. "Sure." _Wait, was this really happening?_

Katie opened the door wide. "Come on in."

And if Travis noticed she separated the chocolates from the box and then dumped the box in the recycling bin next to the cabin door, he didn't mention it.

* * *

Travis took a seat very awkwardly on one of the Cabin 6 beds. He and Katie were the only people in the cabin, striking him as strange. Katie leaned against a bedpost opposite the bed next to the bunk bed he lounged stiffly upon. She seemed much more composed, as if she might finally be capable of a civil conversation with Travis.

"So, where is everybody else?" he asked, fidgeting and clasping his hands together.

Katie shrugged. "Oh, you know, at the Valentine's Day Dance."

Travis blinked. "There's a dance on Valentine's Day?"

Katie nodded sadly. "Yeah, and well, Miranda's not here because she's got a date— some kid named Connor— and well, someone needed to look after the old place."

Travis's brow furrowed not for the first time this evening. "That's weird," he commented. "Connor said he was going with someone named Miranda, and told me to watch over the cabin if anybody decided to prank. And then he said if I got bored, I could talk to you."

Katie's eyes popped. "No way."

Travis nodded, an uneasy frown slipping onto his face. But he didn't dwell on the nagging in the back of his head too long, changing the subject. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "So, I think you said I was cute during your little rant back there…Care to elaborate?" Gods, who knew the only time Travis wasn't suave was when he was talking to women?

"What? No, I didn't," she defended touchily.

"Uh, yes, you did," confirmed Travis.

"No, I didn't," she said, with a dangerous edge that Travis knew not to push.

Travis nodded disbelievingly. "It's a sad thing, because I going to say the same thing for you." Wait, did that just pop out of his traitorous mouth?

Katie looked him in the face for clarification. "What?"

Travis blinked. Then, he started backtracking so fast he almost talked faster than Katie. "Right, so, I'm just going to leave, now. BYE!" And Travis ran out the door.

When Travis was far, far away though, Katie whispered something to herself, something no one within inches of her would have heard. "Coward," that's what it was.

* * *

Miranda came home early from the dance, her heels click-clacking conspicuously on the wooden floorboards. Katie didn't look up from the book she was reading while lounging on her bunk.

Miranda paused, waiting expectantly. "So, did it work?" she demanded, her hands on her hips.

Katie shook her head solemnly. She then groaned as if she were very worn and tired from a day's struggles. She snapped the book shut, and the book was set on the side table. "No," she sighed.

"Maybe next time," tried Miranda.

"I doubt it," Katie muttered bitterly.

Miranda raised her eyebrows, but Katie didn't exactly acknowledge it. "Well, happy Valentine's Day from me!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Miranda rolled her eyes. She has to set up her sister with Travis Stoll or else the purpose of her life won't be fulfilled. Step 1: Enlist the help of Connor Stoll.

Oh, that shouldn't be too hard.


End file.
